HEARING TIPS

New Studies Link Hearing Loss and Depression

For people with hearing loss, it is more important than ever to begin keeping track of any changes in your thoughts or feelings. This advice comes after the researchers at a prestigious institute have found that there is a link and a correlation between people with hearing loss and people who suffer from depression. In this article we will take a look at the different ways that you can prevent hearing loss, the results of this study, and then how this combined disorder can be treated.

Preventing Hearing Loss

Anyone who has ever been to a concert has felt that buzzing in their ears the next morning from having sounds blasted at them at ridiculous levels. Hearing loss can occur from such damage, which is why the first way to prevent hearing loss is to avoid very loud noises. However this is not possible for everyone, which is why it is very important to wear hearing protection when you are in a very loud area. This can keep your hearing safe and prevent you from suffering hearing loss and the complications that comes along with it.

The Study

The basis of the study was very simple in its initial scope. It used 18,000 participants and asked them to track their hearing and then report it to the people at the Institute for Deafness and other Communication Disorders. The people were between the ages of 18 and 80, and those above the age of 70 had to have their hearing tested for them. After the first test was done, they had to complete a questionnaire that was meant to show whether they had symptoms of depression.

To the surprise of many, they found that people over the age of 70 had normal levels of depression despite their hearing loss. However, people under the age of 70 had very high rates of hearing loss as well as a 11% incidence rate of depression, showing that there was a significant connection between hearing loss and depression.

Treatment

The problem with this type of disorder is that one part is dependent upon the other. Many people have tried to treat the depression with medication and therapy, but have the depression still return. Others have decided to treat the cause by giving sufferers hearing aids so that they can participate in conversations and enjoy some of their old hobbies once again. This seems to work best, as the cause of the depression is eliminated. However, some people have hearing loss so severe that none of the options will work. More studies and research are being completed to find a better solution for this ailment.